Where was Adults filmed? Filming locations of the FX comedy, explored

Adults finds its charm not only in its sharp humor and twenty-something Gen-Z angst but also in the setting that mirrors its characters' chaotic yet close-knit dynamic.

The FX series, which follows a group of friends figuring out life post-college, appears rooted in Queens, New York, but its reality lies elsewhere. In fact, the entirety of Adults was brought to life on the streets and stages of Toronto, Ontario, in Canada.

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Toronto’s versatility brings Adults to life

For a series that unfolds in the heart of Queens, Adults manages to sell its New York setting with surprising authenticity. That's largely thanks to the production choice to shoot in Toronto, a city that's no stranger to impersonating major American metropolises on screen.

Toronto, often dubbed the Hollywood of the North, has the show's creators, Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, everything they needed to fabricate a vibrant urban neighborhood brimming with youthful misadventures.

Real-life venues like the Carlaw Loft and The Pearl at 184 Pearl Street were used to ground the show in tangible spaces. The Pearl's distinctive New-York style atmosphere proved especially useful, lending a realistic visual foundation for the show and its central narrative.

But what makes Toronto such a reliable stand-in for New York City? Its architectural variety plays a key role. From sleek glass towers to aged brownstones and narrow alleys, the city's built environment provides a malleable blank canvas for the directors to paint on.

Beyond its exteriors, Toronto offers world-class studio infrastructure that is important for capturing the interior lives of the Adults' ensemble cast.

From Samir's childhood home, where all five friends crash, to the many locations tied to their romantic, emotional, and existential blunders, Toronto handled it all.

The production's reliance on the Canadian city also comes with practical perks. Lower costs, experienced local crews, and easier permitting processes have made Toronto a preferred destination for U.S productions.

FX is no stranger to the trend, and Adults is just the latest in a long list of shows - like Euphoria and The Handmaid's Tale - that have tapped into the city's shape-shifting potential.

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The heart behind the backdrop

While Toronto handled the visual heavy-lifting, the emotional substance of Adults came from its creators' intimate understanding of twenty-somethings.

The show, executive produced by Kronengold and Shaw along with Nick Roll, centers around five friends living in Samir's family home.

Shaw explains in the Los Angeles Times,

“It’s this time of life when your most intimate relationships aren’t your romantic relationships—they’re your friends...That’s who you’re vulnerable with and who you fight with and who you prioritize over everything.”

The characters - Samir, Billie, Anton, Issa, and Paul aren't exact replicas of people in Kronengold and Shaw's lives. Rather, they're composites inspired by "three or four Paul Bakers" and a handful of Billies, from the duo's own hangout crew.

Their shared house, a central location throughout the show, doesn't offer a backdrop; it anchors the story's themes of uncertainty and adulthood.

Kronengold sums it up when he says in the Los Angeles Times:

“One of the things that we said in the room early on is, ‘Yes, they’re young, but they’re also the oldest they’ve ever been.’ So we wanted to give them that agency to march into everything head-on—even if that thing was a glass wall.”

Toronto may have provided the bones of the show, but its soul lies in moments like these.

Though Adults sells itself as a New York-based story, it owes its look and feel to Toronto’s adaptable landscape and film-friendly environment. The series, while visually grounded in Canada, captures a universally relatable chapter of early adulthood—one filled with friendships, flaws, and the small victories that make growing up feel bearable.

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